Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul has said that the pollution in Lahore is increasing due to the extra number of vehicles entering Lahore for Azadi March.
In a video posted on Twitter from Gul’s official account, the minister has termed all reports fake which are claiming that Lahore has entered into the list of most polluted cities of the world.
She said that the company which has released this data wants the government to install their equipment for monitoring air pollution and is spreading misleading reports for the past two years.
“They take their equipment out for recording data when the traffic is dense and use these reports to spread panic”, the minister added.
دانستہ طور پر لاہور میں ہوا کی آلودگی کے بارے میں پھیلائی جانے والی افواہ کی سختی سے تردید کرتی ہوں۔ اور ان عناصر کی مذمت کرتی ہوں۔
Deliberately misinformation is being spread about Lahore AIr Quality. It is nowhere as bad as being asserted by vested elements.
Yesterday, the air quality monitoring station installed in US Consulate Lahore indicated that the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city is near 469, while the threshold for hazardous levels of air quality is 300.
Moreover, the London-based non-governmental organisation, Amnesty International in a statementreleased to the media on Wednesday stated that the levels of air quality in the province has been rated “near unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” for most of the year.
The report also said that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lahore has reached 484 in the early morning. Meanwhile, EPA is still unable to show the actual picture of the scenario and is showing the unrealistic data in this regard.
The South Asia Campaigner at Amnesty International, Rimmel Mohydin has also urged the government to do more to adequately address such a severe public health crisis — one that endangers people’s health and even their lives”.
Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda has demanded a “halwa puri” breakfast from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah.
“I have seen videos of Azadi March on social media, wherein JUI-F leaders were feeding naan cholay [chickpeas curry] to their workers,” Vawda said while speaking of the opposition party’s forthcoming long march during a talk show on Geo News Tuesday.
“I love naan cholay too,” he added.
Reacting to his comments, JUI-F’s Hamdullah said his workers “were not mummy daddy” and so there was no point in feeding them burgers or Savour Foods. “I would offer you halwa puri with cholay,” he said further.
WATCH VIDEO:
JUI-F’s anti-government Azadi March led by party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman with opposition’s support is scheduled to enter the federal capital on October 31.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has been quoted as telling Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman that “there is no possibility of a minus-Imran concept”.
In an “important” meeting held between the army chief and Fazl ahead of the latter’s Azadi March, a journalist affiliated with a private media outlet quoted the COAS as saying that he stood by the constitution and democracy.
“We have been doing what the constitution asks for,” the army chief reportedly said.
Gen Bajwa reminded Fazl that he was a responsible political leader and must be aware that the regional situation is critical. “The situation on the border with India is volatile due to the Kashmir crisis and Afghanistan’s situation is also a source of trouble.”
The army chief reportedly also referred to Iran-Saudi Arabia affairs and told the JUI-F chief that it was not an appropriate time for staging the protest since the economy had been brought on the right track after herculean efforts within the country and abroad.
The COAS made it clear that they wouldn’t permit destabilisation at this moment, the anchor claimed. “He [Imran Khan] is a constitutional prime minister (PM) and neither I nor you can minus him,” he quoted Gen Bajwa as saying.
WATCH VIDEO:
مولانا کی آرمی چیف سے ملاقات۔۔۔ صابر شاکر کا بڑا انکشاف
The anchor, who further claimed that Fazl’s meeting with the COAS was “common knowledge” and was held a few days ago, was also among the media persons who called on the premier in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Speaking to senior journalists during the meeting, PM Imran had said that he wouldn’t resign under pressure from Fazl.
The JUI-F chief has threatened to block the federal capital with his protest against the “illegitimate” government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). His Azadi March, which is expected to have hundreds of thousands of participants — mainly religious hardliners from the JUI-F — is expected to enter Islamabad on October 31.
Ahead of his long march to the federal capital against the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman has asked the media fraternity “to unite against bars on its freedom”.
“You the journalists should plead your case against censorship being imposed by undemocratic forces,” Fazl said while addressing a press conference at the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA).
The JUI-F chief’s statement came days after a private media outlet took off the air his media-talk, alleging a ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA).
Geo news accepts on air that PEMRA is ordering the censorship of opposition leaders. Where is the selected PM who used to claim media in Pakistan is more free than in UK? pic.twitter.com/VrKXyS1qYe
The incident was followed by veteran journalist and analyst Hamid Mir’s tweet stating that the media watchdog has “forced TV channels not to show” Fazl’s presser.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority forced TV channels not to show the press conference of opposition politician Maulana Fazalur Rehman we can differ with Maulana but Govt is showing weakness by imposing unannounced censorship in Pakistan @RSF_inter@pressfreedom
He said that the government was showing weakness by “imposing unannounced censorship” in Pakistan.
Speaking to journalists Friday, Fazl said that media had a key role to play in the current situation. He claimed that it was the media that was giving his efforts a name of its choice and said, “For the JUI-F, it is an attempt to secure respect for popular vote and warn those who are trying to steal it every time.”
Flanked by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Pervaiz Rasheed and JUI-F leader Abdul Ghaffoor Haideri, the religio-political party chief said that if any individual wanted to attain absolute power in the negation of the democratic norms, it could not be accepted in a free and sovereign state.
“Mutiny can take place any time against tyranny,” he warned, adding that the constitution clearly demarcated the area of jurisdiction for all organs of the state, and all must respect it.
“The trouble arises when one institution tries to hog the domain of others and creeping influence destabilises other state organs by breeding frustration among them. Once that frustration hits a boiling point, the entire process implodes. This cycle is being repeated with regularity for the last seven decades. The current JUI-F effort is aimed at breaking the cycle: demolishing illegal results of the last manipulation, ensuring fresh and legal mandate and securing commitment on part of the stakeholders to respect the constitution,” Fazl explained.
He said the public mandate had been hijacked in the last general elections, adding that the nation should once again be given the right to chose and change should come through ballot to put an end to the prevailing sense of uncertainty among people.
“Only two persons, including the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the chairman of FBR [Federal Board of Revenue], have got employment in the country so far,” he said and added that the entire nation and opposition parties were on the same page against the government.
Earlier, SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam urged political parties to extend support to Fazl and sign a charter of democracy-like agreement to reject and discourage any anti-democratic regime in the country.
A “civil society declaration” on civil, political, social and human rights of the oppressed people, women and minorities was also presented to the JUI-F chief with a demand that an all parties conference must make a commitment to the people of Pakistan to make them sovereign.
GOVT READY FOR ACTION?
The capital will likely be sealed from Oct 31 onwards by either the police or the JUI-F as preparations on both sides for the Azadi March gain momentum, Dawn reported.
According to police officers, the Islamabad police have demanded more than 550 shipping containers to intercept the march before it enters the city. The demand was made by zonal superintendents of police City, Saddar, Industrial Area and Rural to the police’s logistics division, they said.
The police have decided to block each of the Expressway’s connecting roads from both sides from Faizabad to the Koral flyover, they said, as this area becomes ‘Waterloo’ for them during protests and law and order problems.
All the connecting roads of Rawalpindi to I.J. Principal Road will also likely be sealed, the officers said, and steps will be taken to intercept people trying to join the march or gather in the capital.
The police have more than 1,000 gas masks, 200 teargas launchers and 13,000 shells available in the logistics division armoury, they said, along with enough batons, plastic helmets, riot jackets, riot shields, shin guards and arms, if needed.
More riot gear was demanded to cope with a deteriorating situation, if it arises.
The police have also threatened local traders with legal action if they do business with the organisers or participants of the Azadi March, the officers said.
These traders include catering services, tent services, hotels, motels, guest-houses and inns, generators, workshops, hardware stores, welding workshops, sound system services, excavator owners and crane owners.
Rawalpindi police, on the other hand, have requested 6,000 shells of tear gas, 1,600 rubber bullets, batons, masks and shields. Anti-riot exercises have begun in Police Lines Headquarters and special squads have been formed to be deployed at sensitive locations.
